1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved reciprocating type compressor having an oil separating device incorporated in the compressor for separating oil from a compressed coolant gas.
2. Description of the Related Art
In reciprocating type compressors and, in particular, in swash plate type compressors or wobble plate type compressors used in an automotive air conditioning devices, oil is contained, in the form of mist, in a coolant gas to lubricate movable elements in the compressor. If the oil mist is discharged from the compressor along with the coolant gas and recirculated in the refrigerating circuit, the oil mist may be deposited onto the inner wall of the evaporator or the like and the heat-exchanging efficiency may be reduced.
Therefore, an oil separator is conventionally arranged in the high pressure piping between the compressor and the condenser so that oil is separated from the coolant gas and returned to the compressor via an oil return pipe. In this case, however, components such as an oil separator and a piping must be manufactured separately from the compressor and be added to the compressor, so the design of the entire refrigerating circuit becomes complex. Further, there is a problem that a narrow and long oil return pipe may be accidentally clogged. Accordingly, a proposal has been made to design a compressor having an oil separating device incorporated in the compressor.
In the known compressor having an oil separating device incorporated therein, one possible arrangement is to incorporate an oil separating device and an oil chamber in a service valve which is attached to the compressor. It is fundamental to design the device such that the separated oil falls by gravity into the oil chamber and is reserved therein, and thus the oil separating means must be arranged above the oil chamber. However, this design results in a bulky service valve and an increased height of the entire compressor.